Pekar and Crumb: A Match Made in Cleveland

Fortuitous forces were truly at work in Cleveland, when by chance in nineteen sixty-two, Harvey Pekar collided paths with a young Robert Crumb. They were introduced over a mutual love of old jazz records, but what Harvey found in Crumb was the inspirational spark to pursue a life in comics. He is now regarded as one of the progenitors of the autobiographical comics genre, and he has Crumb to thank for it. The simple but sophisticated real life stories, first published his comic series,” American Splendor,” developed the substance of the comics medium beyond, what Pekar called, the "adolescent"¹work of fantasy and science fiction. Through his short anecdotes, many of which have no story arc or punch line as would be found in a comic strip or super hero adventure, Pekar teased out the essence of being an actual human being, with no super natural powers to speak of. While Crumb brought Harvey's stories to life with his rich and subtle drawing, Harvey expanded on Crumb's repertoire, giving his work a new sense of realism. Their symbiotic bond arose out of a mutual appreciation for each other as intellectuals, music lovers and artists, as well as a kindred spirit formed through their equally obsessive and particular personalities. This mutual understanding created the foundation for what was to become a prolific partnership.

A deep artistic appreciation was formed at start of their relationship. Crumb's sketchbook drawings of, “The Big Yum Yum Book,” a comic he was working on at the time, inspired Harvey to start thinking about the medium seriously. A few panels from, “The Young Crumb Story,” a collaborative comic about the genesis of their relationship, clearly illustrates the extent to which Harvey was affected by Crumb's work.

Pekar casually slouches over the sketchbook, then, as if hit by some great revelation, he sinks down into his tattered loveseat, engrossed by the black sketchbook in front of him. His brow, once furrowed in a cool confidence, turns upward into a look of surrender as he begins to comprehend the power of the drawings before him. In the process of only two panels, and with very limited acting, Crumb subtly portrays Harvey's profound reaction to his work. Harvey's simple storytelling and dialogue complements Crumb's untheatrical drawings perfectly. When combined, the work of these two artists, create a world that is true to human experience, their experience specifically, and that is where its emotional power lies. One can see how Crumb's work affected Harvey, but Harvey also touched crumb in a deeply personal way. When asked to write about Harvey’s work, Crumb notes,” He brings this mundane work-a-day world to life, gives us it's poignant moments, its humor, absurdity, irony...and mostly it's absolute truth."² They had an unspoken connection that existed on the words and lines of the comic page. It would be difficult to imagine this connection existing without their shared experience of being young and creative intellectuals as well as music enthusiasts. Had they not been, it's unlikely that they would have even met in the first place.

Both Crumb and Pekar shared a deep love of old jazz and blues, as well as a mutual obsession with record collecting. It takes an intensely passionate and fanatical personality to be so compulsive about collecting records and they both shared these traits. Their extreme appreciation of music was an important aspect of their personalities, as well as a common thread in their lives and work and it was also the element that caused their initial introduction. One of their comics titled, "How I Quit Collecting Records and Put Out a

Comic Book With the Money I Saved," is a collaborative comic that tells the story of Harvey's struggle to finally put down his addiction to record collecting. In addition, it shows his deep appreciation of jazz music. One can feel the peaceful trance as Pekar sits at the table, listening to the record blare out a fury of notes. He looks eerily similar to a young Robert Crumb, sans thick frame glasses, as he rubs his chin while analyzing the song. Crumb may have seen much of himself in Pekar's story. His handling of Pekar's character seems to have come from a place of empathy that adds to the realism and power of the story. Crumb is well known for his love of old music. His vast record collection is pictured many times in his own comics. He has illustrated "Heroes of the Blues" trading cards as well as written whole comics on the subject. He even has his own old time band called "The Cheap Suit Serenaders." It can't be overstated how important this commonality was to their relationship, and everything that sprang forth from it. The cover of "American Splendor No.4" gives an intimate sense of their friendship and rapport, like two children trading baseball cards.

I think the shared thought bubble, "What A Sucker," reveals much about their relationship. It shows not only their similarity in thought, but also their acknowledgement, through the creation of the art itself, of their unspoken connection. It was that connection, forged through music, creativity and mutual appreciation that not only created some amazing and groundbreaking comics, but also a lifelong friendship.

1. Michael G. Rhode, Harvey Pekar Conversations ( Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2008), 36.

2. Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb, American Splendor Presents: Bob and Harv’s Comics(New York: Four Walls Eight Windows)intro.

Bibliography

1. Michael G. Rhode, Harvey Pekar Conversations ( Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2008).

2. Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb, American Splendor Presents: Bob and Harv’s Comics(New York: Four Walls Eight Windows).